Our building was built by the Methodist Church and opened in 1962, providing a spiritual need on a post-war housing estate. When a nearby Anglican Church closed, the congregation began sharing the building. In 1971 the people came together as a single-congregation Local Ecumenical Partnership. From 1978 we have had a full-time Anglican priest and we are now licensed and committed to Shared Ministry.

Our Team consists of the Community Minister, Revd, Sarah Siddique Gill, Local Preachers, an Authorised Pastoral Assistant and a Church Community Centre Coordinator. We also welcome visiting preachers and ministers.

As well as the Shared Ministry Development Team, we have a Pastoral Visitors Team and a Worship Team.

We have an extensive programme of community activities - for more information visit our Community Activities page. Most of these are in partnership with other community groups and we are able to develop and sustain these activities through the support of a number of volunteer helpers.

We carried out a £250,000 refurbishment as our Millennium Project, ensuring that our building is attractive, warm, comfortable and accessible. The building is equipped with a loop hearing system.

We work in partnership with many other organisations, both statutory and voluntary to enable us to fulfil our Christian mission and over the years the Church and Community Centre has become accepted as somewhere safe and welcoming. Woodhouse Close Church is part of the Bishop Auckland Fellowship of Christian Churches.

Church members also serve the community in other ways as:

Governors at the local schools and nursery

Representatives on Bishop Auckland and Shildon Area Action Partnership